Gas-shut-off valve



6, 1929- w. G. WILSON 1,723,593

GAS SHUT-OFF VALVE 7 Filed Dec. 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 6, 1929. w. G. WILSON 1,723,593

v GAS SHUT-OFF VALVE Filed Dec. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. G. WILSON GAS SHUT-OFF VALVE Filed Dec, 22, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 M ATTORNEY Patented. Aug. 6, 1.929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WYLIE G. WILSON, OF ELIZABETH,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, TO EVERLASTING VALVE COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GAs-sHU'r-OFF vALvE.

Application filed December 22, 1926.

This invention relates to valves, and more particularly aims to provide an improved type of fluid shut-oil valve.

An object of the invention is to provide an im 'n'oved fluid shut-oil valve adapted to be installed in any fluid line, as a steam or gas line, and of the type which is normally open but which may be closed from any one of sevral remote points.

Another object is to provide a valve a net described which may thus be given a complete and dependable closure, without, on the one hand having to employ other than a very simple operative connection between such a remote point and the valve member, and without, on the other hand, having to bring the valve member to its seat with such impact shock as to injure the valve or endanger any of the pipe or fitting joints at or near the *alve.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide, particularly for use in gas supply lines for dwellings and other edifices, a fluid shut-off valve of the normally open type, which may be manually closed from a remote point as aforesaid. and which also will. be antomatically closed on the occurrence of a decided increase of temperature at a predetermined point more or less close to the valve casing, such as would arise incident to a fire. In this connection, it is explained that ordinanccs and departmental regulations for the protection of buildings and firemen against eontlaogration hazariils, especially in the large cities, require that a shut-off valve be installed Which is so constructed or equipped that the same may be closed by an arriving fireman without a close approach to the valve itselt, to preclude the possibility of an ex plosion while the firemen are in the cellar of the building. A common requirement is thata connection, and generally a mechanical one, be provided between the valve, or a lock box at the exterior of the building, and from there be manually operable to close the valve once the cover or door of the box is opened. It should also be understood that in some cases the eas meter may be melted fairly soon, to release a stream of gas into the building, unless the shut-oil valve is placed between the meter and the gasmain in the street. hen the valve is so placed, it is generally it' not always in rather an inaccessible location, increasing greatly the danger to a fireman who would h ave to make entry to the cellar to shut Serial No. 156,420.

off the valve. Thus, it is vitally ii'lilportant that a remotely controlled valve closing means he provided. I am aware that heretofore gas shut-off valves have been designed which were constructed and equipped for such remote control, and for closhrc from the exterior of the building.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a gas shut-off valve capable of thus being closed, but one whereinat least two disadwtntages of previous valves of this kind are not present. One ot these d isadvanrages has been due to the fact that closing oi. the valve has been relied on to follow merely from the falling of a weight or the releasing of a, spring at the valve. As a result, complete and dependable valve closure could not be depended on. In the first place, a considerable .torce has had to be released at the valve, as by the use of a spring of cmisiderable power. or by the dropping of a very heavy weight. This has been necessary, to overcome the possible resistance of the adjustable stufling box; and, for safety sake, the magnitude of the weight, to take a weieiht'operated valve as an example, has always been too great rather than too small. Consequently with the stulling box adjusted in such n'ianner that no gas leak could occur normally, seating of the valve member has always been. acconu panied by a considerable in'ipact shock. Such. a shock of course occurs at a moment when it is particularly essential. that no leakage at the joints he produced. Even so, the action of the valve has been by no means certain; sometimes a careless adjuster has screwed up the stalling gox gland too ti ght. The other of the disadvantages referred. to has been due to the tact that no means was provided. to close, or check the closing oi. the valve u'len'iber, as by applying a positive pressure thereto, in addition to the pull of gravity, to hold the valve Ira-amber securely jammed down in its [')()Sltl.0!l of perfect seatin Thus, it is a particular object of the invention to provide a gas shut-off valve? so constructed and arranged that regardless of stuffing box adjustment a tireman at the lock box or other exterior station may close the valve and hold it closed by positive presure.

Also, it is particular object ol. the invention to provide a gas shut-off valve as last described, wherein a powr-nk-delivering or poweretoring means is incorporated, as a weight, tor operation during or iru-ideut to valve closure, but without accompanying such valve closure with detrimental impact shock. V

The present invention has in view, also, various other objects, for instance: a

A further object is to provide a gas shut-off valve of theremote control type, wherein also automatic valve closing means such as a weight is incorporated such that if the fire be in the cellar, the attainment of a predetermined temperature in the vicinity of the valve casing will cause the actuation of said weight without detrimental impact shock, thus to close the valve securely yet safely even before the arrival of a fireman.

Still a further object is to provide a gas shut-off valve as last described, and one so constructed and arranged that on the arrival of a fireman he may, immediately on obtaining access to the lock box or the like, and regardless of whether or not the automatic or temperature-responsive means has functioned, operate a valve closing means or member in such manner that if said automatic means has functioned the valve closure will be certified or made more secure, and if said automatic means has not yet functioned, the valve closure will be initiated and completed, also without detrimental impact shock. Incidentally, I achieve the very desirable result that the valve may be periodically tested Without destroying or removing or interfering with the heat-responsive meanseven though the test he conducted by actuating the manually operating means from a remote point.

Another object is to provide a gas shut-off valve for satisfying some or all of the fore going objects, which shall be simple and reliable in construction and operation, which shall be fairly inexpensive to construct, which shall be so shaped interiorly as to be self-draining so far as condensates or other liquids are concerned, and which shall be very compact, so that the valve itself may be installed'in a locked metallic box as required by some fireregulations, without requiring that box to be of unwieldy or objectionable size.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be specifically pointed out or apparent hereinafter, in the course of a description of a preferred one of the various possible forms of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawing; it being under stood, of course, that such form is merely illustrative of one combination and arrangement of parts calculated to attain the objects of the invention, pursuant to present preference, and hence the detailed description of such form now to be given is not to be taken as at all defining or limiting the invention itself. That is to say, the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art, and with explanatory references to the specification only where a claim is ambiguous or to be impliedly limited beyond its express terms to avoid such art in order to save the validity of said claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a form of valve pursuant to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 shows, disassembled, the elements shown in perspective in Fig. 1;

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Fig. (i is a perspective view showing certain of the parts of Figs. l and 5, partially disassembled Fig. 7 is an elevational view, looking toward the right side of the valve as shown in. Fig. 1, and disclosing in side elevation the parts seen in perspective in Fig. 1.;

Fig. 8 shows certain of the last mentioned parts as seen in Fig. 7 but in different rela tive positions; and

Fig. 9 a view similar to Fig. 8, showing said parts in still different relative positions.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several. views of the drawings.

The form of valve illustrated is one eqpecially designed for a ,ejas-supply line to a building; and the valve includes, as a part of a casing 10, a throat 11 at its bottom, which in the present case a gas inlet. As shown in Fig. 4:. a valve seat 12 surroinnlsthe upper end of said inlet, and a valve disc 13, forming the lower portion of a more or less spoolshapcd wcigilt-member 1 is normally elevated above said seat, so that normally the valve is in open condition. The \\'eighimember 13 is so very light, that when dropped to the seat 12, there is practically no impact shock. In practice. the member 13 given a weight of only two pounds, with a. seating drop of two inches.

This weight member may be made so light, because gravity relied on only to drop the valve the slight distance mentioned and to press the valve against its scat sulliriently to prevent the gas pressure (which is but slight} from lifting the valve oil its seat. lu'other .vords. the weight member 3, in dropping, does not have to overcome stulling box resist ance, or any other normal resistance aside from that of the incoming gas stream; the hollow portion of the meu'iber being rather loose about a tubular guide sleeve H screwed into cap 15 of the casing.

The only stui'ring box present is that indicated at 16. Through the sma l gland 16 there passes a slide-rod or plunger 1.7; the

lower portion of this plunger, above the disc 18 at its lower end, being slidably accommodated within the guide-sleeve 14:.

The upper end oi" the plunger carries a stirrup-niember 19 torming one element of what is in effect a pivotal connection between he plunger and a bell-crank lever 20 shown most clearly in Fig. 3; the other element o'lf said connection being a terminal dish-enlargement 20 carried by the shorter arm oi said lever.

Comparing 1., 2 and 3, with Fig. 7, lever 20 is pivoted on a pin 21 at the upper end 22" of standard 22, bolted at its bottom to the main body of the casing as indicated at 23 in 1 and 2. The 'ljramashaped upper arm of the lever 20 is provided interm ediate its ends with a pin 24 on which is loosely pivoted a double-claw rocker, which may be termed the trigger,

Vilith bell-crank lever 20 arranged as shown in Fig. 7, that is, to hold the plunger 17 elevated as required while the valve is in its normal open condition, the trigger may be set to its normal position on the bell crauk lever, that is, to have its claw 25 abut the under-surface ot the upper arm of the lever, as shown in Fig. 7. Then, the curved upper surface 25 fl the trigger is arranged over lappingly oi the upper end of said upper arm of the lever in such manner that, it the uppermost link 26 of a chain 26 be engaged with said surface as shown in Fig. 7, the chain will be suspended from said surface without chance of accidental detachment therefrom.

In order to prevent such accidental detachment, the trigger carries a weight portion as indicated at 25; so disposed that with the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 7 the weight, although fairly inconsiderable in itsell", lies some distance to one do ol the pin 24; on which the trigger pivoted. 'llheroby, another object oi. the invention is simply attained, which is to prevent acciilental release oi the chain .26 when the valve is subjected to a iairl y strong vibration. The same result may of course be otherwise attained; even in the case oi the tr' jfTGI device now being described. For instance, the small weight 2:? could be dispensed with, and instead the curved surface ot the trigger 11:) could he notched or recessed slightly atthe point where engaged by the link 263 of the chain. y

A cable or wire 27 extends from the tri 'er to a point remote from the valve, say to in Fig.

This weight is carried at the free swinging end of an arm 30, which arm is bolted. as shown most clearly in F 5, on one end at a horizontal stem Ell passing through the interior of the valve casing and held against an asbestos packing washer ill by the endwiso thrust of a small headed stud acted on by an cxpansile coil spring Eli-3 as shown best in Fig. 5.

As will be seen from Figs. 4;, 5 and (3, this stem Ell has a linger 3 L otlfset therefrom, at a point along the length of the stem to cause the linger to lie under the upper enlarged head 1.3" of the main weight 13, and hold said weight elevated while the auxiliary weight 29 is held up by the chain 26. There is nothing analogous to the usual stulling box resistance to a rotation of the stem ill, to permit valve closure. and. a rotation of the stem when the auxiliary weight 29 is released is totally unaccompanied by any im pact shock.

Normally the parts just described. are arranged as shown in 4, 5 and 6. Then the bell-crank 20 and trigger 25 of Figs. 7,

8 and 9 are in the relative dispositions shown Closing operation.

011 the occurrence of a fire in premises equipped with the new valve, an arri ing fireman pulls the cabl 27, say from the lock box at the exterior oi the building.

The first thing that happens is that the trigger 25 becomes redis 'msed on the bellcrank lever 20 as shown in Fig. 8. This releases the chain 26, and the auxiliary weight 29 rocks the stem 31 in a coimter-cloelrwiso direction as seen in Fig. 4.. This movement of the stem iin'iilarly swings the linger 34;, and the main weight 13 drops to seat the valve-disc 13. If the link 28 has n'ieanwhilc :tused, said main weight has already dropped to seat the valve disc; but the trigger univenient just described will do no harm. The valve, in either event, is closed, absolutely, and without detrimental impact shock. The valve thus closes each time the lower end of chain 526 is IJOXnllttQd to descend, whether by action of the automatic means including the fusible link 28, or by manual rocking of the trigger The next thing that hap pens, as the result of the tiri-iu'ians pull on the cable 27. is that, following the impingement oi? the claw 25 ot the trigger against the upper arm of the bell-cranl lever 20 (see Fig. 8), said lever becomes redisposed on the standard 22 as shown in F 9. This drives down the plunger 17, to force the bottom of the same as hard as desired against the bottom wall of the central hollow in the main weight 13 (Fig. 4), to check or certify the gravity seating oi the valve disc 13, to center the latter it necessary on its seat 12, and to impose positive seat-holding pressure against the valve member.

The new valve is self-draining, is-very compact, and meets all the requirements hereinabove noted, particularly so far as a gas shut-off valve is concerned; also, the valve may be periodically tested without destroying or disengaging the fusible link.

The invention, however, is not to be limited to a fluid valve for gas. For instance, the invention may be embodied in a steam shut-off valve, with practically no changes; except that it might be desirable to employ the throat 11 as the fluid inlet. A shut-0H valve according to the invention would be especially useful in steam lines. Such an embodiment of the invention, particularly, might advantageously be equipped with electric conductors as the connections between push-buttons at the various desired points of remote control and the means local to the valve casing for directly bringing about valve closure.

Inasmuch as various other changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interposed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language contained in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A fluid shut-off valve comprising a easing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port, a detent for normally holding the valve member in open position, a rod slidably extending through a wall of the cas-s ing and adapted to exert pressure on the valve, a lever mounted without the casing and operatively engaging one end of the rod, and means for causing movement of the detent'to release the valve and permit it to close when the lever is rocked to move the rod in the valve-closing direction.

2. A fluid shut-off valve comprising a eas ing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port, an operating member extending through the wall of the casing, said operating member being capable of manual operation to press the valve toward the port, a second operating member located entirely within the casing and adapted to close the valve independently of the first-named operating member, said second operating member having no positive connection with any member outside the casing, and a detent for normally holding the valvem open position and said second operating member inoperative.

3. A fluid-shut-ofl valve comprising a casing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port, an operating member ex tending through the wall of the casing, said operating member being capable of manual. operation to press the valve toward the port, gravity-operated means within the casing and adapted to close the valve indepemlently of the first-named operating member, and a detent for normally holding the valve in open position and the valve closing gravity operated means inoperative.

4. A fluid shut-off valve comprising a casing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port, an operating member extending through the wall of the rasing, said operating member being capable of manual operation to press the valve toward the port, gravity-operated means within the casing and adapted to close the valve independently of the first-named operating member, a de tent for normally holding the valve in open position and the valve closing gravity operated means inoperative, and gravity-operated means normally held inoperative for releasing the detent.

5. In a fluid shut-off valve, the combination of a casing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port, a member for applying pressure to said valve member to move the latter to close the port, a normally restrained weight member which when thus restrained acts to prevent closing of the port by the valve member, a valve closing means including a latch, and means for releasing said weight member also including said latch, said valve closing means being operable in one direction first to operate said latch rela tive to the releasing means and then to operate the pressure member.

6. In a fluid shut-off valve, the combination of a casing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port, a member for applying pressure to said valve member to move the latter to close the port, the said valve member being a floatably guided weight normally held elevated above said seat, a normally restrained power-delivering means for releasing said valve member to drop to close the valve, automatic means for removing the restraint from said power-delivering means, and manual means for operating said pressure member and also for removing said restraint if not already removed by previous operation of said automatic means.

7. In a fluid shut-off valve, the combination of a casing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port by gravity,

means for normally holding said valve member in open position relative to the port, a normally inoperative power-deliver ing means for releasing said holding means,

and means for rendering operative said powendelivering means, the means last mentioned including both an automatic control member functioning upon a change of temperature at a point exterior to the casing, and a manual actuator, and there being further provided a means operated. also by said manual actuator for 'ausing the valve n1en1- her to close the port independently of the gravity action of said valve member.

8. In a fluid shut-off valve, the combina tion of a casing having a port, a valve member movable to close said port by gravity, means for normally holding said valve member in open position. relative to the port, a normally inoperative power-delivering means tor releasing said holding means, and means for rendering operative said power-delivering means, the means last mentioned including a member controlled by a change of temperature at a point exterior to the casing,

there bein also rovided a means o'ierable manually from a remote point for rendering operative said power delivering means for releasing said holding means on failure of said temperature controlled member to iun.ction and for positively subjecting the valve member when closed to mechanical pressure to hold the same closed.

9. In a fluid. shut-oli valve, a floating valve member seatable by gravity to close the valve, a detent normally holding the valve member elevated above its valve closing position, a device for moving the detent to release the valve member, and means holding said device inoperative and including a fusible element.

10. In a fluid shut ofi' valve, a gravity closable valve member, detent normally holdin g the valve member elevated above its valve closing position, normally inoperative means for exerting a positive downward pressure on the valve member to urge the latter toward and hold the same in valve closing position, and means operative to cause movement oi said detent to release said. valve meniber and to actuate said pressure means.

11. In a fluid shut-ott valve, a casing including a port, a valve closing means in the casing including a valve so mounted and supported. as always to tend to seek valve closing position, restraining means for normally overcoming such tendency, means operable to apply a positive seating pressure to the valve member when the latter is in valve closing position, and means operable first to render ineffective said rest-raining means and then to operate the positive pressure means.

12. In a fluid shut-oil valve, a casing including a port, a valve closing means in the casing including a valve so mounted and supported as always to tend to seek valve closing position, restraining means for normally overcoming such tendency, means operable to apply a positive seating pressure to the valve, and valve closing means including an endwisely movable device adapted to run from near the alve casing to a point of remote manual control, a pivoted member connected to the positive pressure means, and. an endwisely movable device including a fusible element, the last mentioned device being normally connected to said pivoted member and the latter being connected to said first mentioned device, whereby on endwisely moving said first named device, it Slll'll element is not fused, the device including said element will be first disengaged from the pivoted member thereby to render ineil ive said restraining means, and upon further movement oil? said. first mentioned device the pivoted member will operate the positive pressure means.

13. In a fluid shut-oil? valve, casing ineluding a port, a valve member in the c s: ada iited to be closed by gravity, a sha tt rotatably mounted in the casing, a detent carried by the shaft, a weight-member for opera ting the detent, and means including a iusible element exterior to the casing for positioning the weight and detent to hold the valve away from the port while said element is intact, there being also provided a means including a cable, chain or the like for releasing said weight and detent POSltiOllll'lg means to perniiit the valve member to close regardless of the condition of paid element.

14:- In a fluid shut-oft valve, a gravity closing valve member, a detent for normally holding the valve open, means for releasing the valve from the detent, a tubular guide for said valve member, a plunger working in said guide for thrusting against the valve member when closed by gravity, a hell-c ank tor thus thru' my the plunger, and a cable, chain, or the like 'ior operating the bell crank.

In combination, a valve casing having a port, a valve member adapted to seal the port, a weight located within the casing for closing the valve, an exterior weight normally held in one position, means under control of the exterior weight for normally holding the valve in open position and. the weight within the casing inoperative, a movable support tor the exteriorwveight passing through a wall. of the casing, a packing between said support and the casing, and means for releasing and causing movement of the exterior weight to release the interior weight, thereby permitting both weights to function while imposing all packing resistance on the exterior weight.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

VVYLIE G. VVIIiSON. 

